Got roasted by a foreman in Spokane for my post hole depth

Last month I was digging post holes for a 6ft privacy fence in Spokane and this old foreman walks by, looks at my holes, and goes 'you gonna set that or plant a tree?' Turns out I was going 42 inches deep on every hole when 30-36 is plenty for standard frost line here. He showed me how to check soil type and adjust depth based on that. Has anyone else had to unlearn bad habits from watching YouTube tutorials?

3 comments

3 Comments

hernandez.gavin8d ago

That foreman did you a favor, honestly. YouTube gurus make everything look foolproof but they never talk about ground conditions or local frost variations. I wasted half a season overdigging for a shed foundation because some video said 48 inches minimum. The real pros learn by doing and checking with people who actually work the ground, not someone filming in Texas who hasn't seen real frost. Soil type changes everything, and Spokane clay holds moisture different than sandy loam. Sometimes the old school rules exist for good reason.

jamesc798d ago

Haha yeah I feel that. I once spent three weekends digging fence post holes by hand because a YouTube video said a post hole digger was "too easy" and I needed to "feel the earth." Ended up with a busted back and a crooked fence that looks like it was designed by a drunk. The foreman probably saved you a lot of pain and a trip to the chiropractor's.

hannahj498d agoMost Upvoted

Read a great quote once that said "experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.